“And that includes killing my father?”
“Maybe. If he is trying to kill you, then yes. You are mine, and I will protect what is mine. That’s my job.”
“You think your job is protecting me now?”
“No, I know it is. You can hate me, Rebel. I will still give you every fucking thing you want.”
“I want you out,” I said, my breath hitching as he leaned down, his lips pressing once to my neck.
“Are you sure?”
Every hair on my body stood, the shiver that ran through me making me shudder as his fingers trailed up my hips and sides. The light touch made me want to give in. He brushed up my neck before his hands wrapped into my hair and tightened until he pulled my head back, forcing me to look at his face.
“Yes,” I said, my body betraying me as it sank against him a little more.
“I didn’t know, Regan. I didn’t know that you were smart and strong. I didn’t know you were so desperate for more in life. I didn’t know you wanted to rule the world, or understand my life, or kill for me.” He grinned at the last part. My stomach flipped, and I pushed against him hard. He kept his grip on my hair, but he stepped back. “Come on. I know you are more pissed off than a simple push. You want to claw my eyes out, you want to hurt me, so do it.”
“No. I’m not a monster like you are.”
He laughed, pulling me back against him. “Yes, you are. There’s no fucking halo on your head anymore, Regan. You’re a killer. You can punish me how you see fit, but you can’t hide what you are now. Not from me, at least.”
His words pushed me over the edge, anger making me blind to what I should do and letting what I wanted to do take over. I had crossed lines I never thought I would, all for him. All to keep him safe, and now he threw it in my face. In a sudden surge of anger and desire, I twisted in his grasp, pushing him hard until he stumbled back and fell into the chair we had been in when he told me that my entire life was a lie.
I stepped in front of him. His eyes dragged up my body until they met mine. The lust and desire in them made my body tighten. I hated his blue eyes, and the way I liked the tattoos running up his neck and down his arms. I hated him for what he would say to me. He kept poking and prodding me, making me want more of his life.
I stepped closer, my hand coming back. I almost surprised myself when my palm connected with his cheek, the stinging sound of skin on skin making me wince.
His eyes went heavy, and he leaned forward as he reached out. His hand fisted in my tank top before he ripped it back. Fabric tore as the straps broke.
My chest heaved as he pulled it more, leaving my breasts exposed.
His eyes locked on mine for one beat of my heart before he stood. His hands slid around my thighs until his arms locked around me, lifting me up as he kept moving. My back slammed against the wall, the sharp pain making me hiss before I leaned down, biting into his neck hard.
He moaned, gripping me hard. The sound made me burn hotter, my thighs clenching at the sudden wave of heat that came over me. He shifted me and I grabbed on, my nails digging hard into his back as he arched.
His mouth found mine, his tongue taking over like he owned it, and I was starting to worry that he did. I wasn’t fighting this. I was taking it.
Not only was I taking what he offered, but I was demanding more. I slid my hand between us, pushing my way into his jeans until I found his cock, already hard and ready for me. My thighs tightened around him. The need to sink onto him was getting overwhelming.
His eyes staring down at me didn’t help my resolve. If I actually had any resolve left. It wasn’t anger in them, or even a hint of that deadly glint that always made me a little nervous. They were soft.
He was looking at me with that sweet gaze any girl would dream about from a man like him. A man who probably never gave that look to anyone.
My heart stopped, and I pushed back, scrambling to duck under his arm as I realized I once again was giving in.
“Leave, Rook.”
He didn’t say a word, but he his eyes roamed my face. No anger flashed, no scowl came, he just gave me one sharp nod.
“I won’t be far,” he said, the deep rumble of his voice making my legs weak.
“Please go home. I don’t need you close.”
“There is not a fucking chance I’m getting out of sight from this house. Whether you believe it or not, people are trying to kill you, and I won’t let them.”
“Out, Rook.” The door slammed behind him, and I slumped onto my bed. Shadows danced outside the window as I pulled a blanket tight around me. Now I had to sit here all night, worrying that Rook might not be the only one out there.
Thirty-Eight
